# Islam and the Baha'i Faith

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Diane Robinson Kerr, Islam and the Baha'i Faith, bahai-library.com.
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> ISLAM AND THE BAHA’I FAITH
> It is with great reverence to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon Him, that I attempt to
> write this paper. May He accept this humble offering I lay at His threshold as a small token of my love and
> respect.
> 
> Similarities and Differences:
> 
> Islam is the Mother Religion of my Faith and in it I see so many similarities and concepts
> 
> that I accept as part of my own religious understanding. This comes as no surprise as all of the
> 
> prophets from God, or Allah, reveal the same spiritual teachings, the same tawhid. Differences
> 
> are most obvious in the social teachings, which are adjusted and changed to fit the needs of the
> 
> society and times. Some of the most obvious parallels can be found by comparing the five pillars.
> 
> I especially love this quote by Abdu’l Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah in reference to the pillars of
> 
> faith.
> 
> There are certain pillars which have been established as the unshakable supports of the
> Faith of God. The mightiest of these is learning and the use of the mind, the expansion of
> consciousness, and insight into the realities of the universe and the hidden mysteries of
> Almighty God.1                                                        – Abdu’l Baha
> 
> (Abdu’l Baha), ( Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l Baha, p. 153)
> 
> First Pillar:
> 
> In the first few lines of The Words of Wisdom in the Tablets of Baha’u’llah, we see this
> 
> primary directive expressed which corresponds with the first pillar, the Shahadah.
> 
> In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Most High. The source of all good is trust in God,
> submission unto His command, and contentment with His holy will and pleasure.
> The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and
> the apprehension of His justice and decree. The essence of religion is to testify unto that
> which the Lord hath revealed, and follow that which He hath ordained in His mighty
> Book…2
> - Baha'u'llah
> 
> Submission to God, the Unknowable, the All Wise, is also reflected in the daily,
> 
> obligatory noon-day prayer.
> 
> I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify,
> at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is
> none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
> - (Baha'u'llah, 3
> 
> The acceptance of God and His messengers is a fundamental verity of both Islam and
> 
> Baha’i. A common belief among Muslims is that there can be no further revelation beyond
> 
> Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon Him. Baha’is believe that God’s revelation to humans
> 
> is infinite and not limited. We see the allegorical reference to this in the Quran.
> 
> And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans
> behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the
> writing): for Allah is Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.
> - (The Holy Quran4
> 
> One of the most distinguishable methods used by all of the prophets it seems is the use of
> 
> metaphor as in the quote above. When holy scriptures are interpreted too literally, it leads to
> 
> misunderstandings that result in wrong action such as the rigid refusal of both Christians and
> 
> Jews in accepting Muhammad or any other messengers. This has led to violence, wars, and
> 
> (Baha’u’llah), (Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 153)
> (Baha’u’llah), (Prayers and Meditation by Baha’u’llah, p. 313 )
> (The Holy Quran, 31:27)
> 
> religious pogroms such as the one against Baha’is in Iran. Christians are still waiting for Christ
> 
> to come down on the clouds: Jews, the Messiah. Many Muslims (not all), understand that the title
> 
> Seal of the Prophets means that God’s bounty is finite. Baha’is view this title as the distinction
> 
> that Muhammad was the seal of the prophets in that he ended the cycle of prophesy began by
> 
> Adam. The cycle of fulfillment, which is to last fifty thousand years, began with the advent of
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> the Bab (means gate), who was the forerunner of Baha’u’llah.
> 
> In order to be a Baha’i one must declare their belief in God and acceptance of His
> 
> messengers, including God’s most recent one, Baha’u’llah. This is done in the heart after
> 
> personal investigation of the claims of Baha’u’llah and witnessed by the nearest Spiritual
> 
> Assembly, (local governing body), once they receive the signed declaration card.
> 
> Second Pillar:
> 
> Prayer is a very vital part of life for a Baha’i. There are three obligatory prayers to choose
> 
> from the short noon-day prayer above, the medium prayer which must be said in the morning,
> 
> noon, and evening, or the long obligatory prayer which must be said once a day. These prayers
> 
> are the obligatory ones but there are many others that have been revealed by Baha’u’llah. We can
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> also pray from our own hearts but there is a special potency when using the words from the
> 
> prophet as these are seen as the words of God and have many levels of meaning.
> 
> One distinctive difference is the abolishment of congregational prayer except the prayer
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> for the dead. Baha’is can pray in gatherings but not in any rigid or ritualistic way. The daily use
> 
> of obligatory prayers are said in private. Baha’u’llah also abolished the institution of priesthood.
> 
> This does not mean that one cannot have a teacher or a guide but with the understanding that the
> 
> only real authority is the revelation from God through his manifestations. The Writings of
> 
> Baha’u’llah were written over a period of forty years as a prisoner and this is the first time in
> 
> history that we have the original writings of the manifestation. Nothing was allowed to leave His
> 
> hands unless it was signed and stamped with His seal.
> 
> Third Pillar:
> 
> Zakat is similar to Huququ’llah, meaning the rights of Allah. The payment of
> 
> Huququ’llah is based on one’s income. After all debts have been paid and once what is left over
> 
> reaches to 19% in gold mithqals, 19% of that is considered the Right of God. A gold mithqals is
> 
> equivalent to 2.2246 ounces of gold. Other than this, we donate to the Baha’i Fund throughout
> 
> the rest of the year. It is confidential, voluntary, and reserved for Baha’is only. We have often re-
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> directed funds donated by non Baha’is to other charities. Donating to the Fund is considered an
> 
> honor and a way of attracting God’s grace.
> 
> Fourth Pillar:
> 
> Baha’is have also been enjoined to fast. Ours is shorter and based on the calendar system
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> revealed by Baha’u’llah. It is a solar calendar made up of nineteen months. Each month has
> 
> nineteen days and is named after an attribute of God. There are several extra days which are
> 
> known as Ayyam-i-Ha. This is a period that happens from February 25th to March 1st. Gift giving
> 
> and acts of service during this period prepare one for the fast which begins on March 2nd to
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> March 20th. The fast has the same requirements, no food, drink, smoke, sex, during the daylight
> 
> hours. It is an intensive time of prayer and a preparation for the new year which begins on March
> 
> 21st, spring equinox. This is celebrated before sunset and is Naw-Ruz, a Feast of hospitality and
> 
> rejoicing.
> 
> Fifth Pillar:
> 
> Pilgrimage is also a duty for Baha’is unless ill. Baha’u’llah has exempted women as a
> 
> mercy on His part. They are free of the obligation but encouraged to take pilgrimage. When
> 
> Baha’u’llah was exiled to Akka Israel, He was imprisoned in the fortress prison in Akka which is
> 
> across the bay from Haifa. Later He was released under house arrest. After forty years as a
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> prisoner, He died and was buried just outside of Akka. When Baha’is go on pilgrimage, they
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> visit the shrines of Baha’u’llah and the shrines of Abdul’Baha and the Bab which are on Mount
> 
> Carmel. The Baha’i World Center is also on Mount Carmel and this is where the Universal
> 
> House of Justice, (an elected body of nine members, elected from delegates who represent every
> 
> part of the planet), sits as the world governing body for Baha’is.
> 
> What It All Means To Me:
> 
> As long as I can remember, I have always known that God is one. I eschewed churches or
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> groups for years because I did not believe that anyone had the right way and I still don’t. I love
> 
> the Baha’i Faith however, because its main goal is the desire of my heart: peace on earth. I know
> 
> that this is the goal of all faiths but I have not found one that has such specific instructions. I
> 
> believe that the reason for this is that the religions of the past were concerned more with the
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> individual and the tribe: salvation, enlightenment, etc. The world was not viewed as one round,
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> blue planet hanging in space until recently. The Baha’i Teachings offer a very detailed blueprint
> 
> of how to bring peace to humanity because now is the time that we can understand the statement
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> “The earth is one country and mankind its citizens.” – Baha’u’llah
> 
> Revelation is progressive. Although the Baha’i revelation is mystical in nature and this is
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> the same truth revealed in the past and will be again in the future, those of us who have missed
> 
> previous revelations have missed so much. If each revelation could be compared to a chapter in
> 
> God’s great book, missing chapters has consequences. Learning more about Islam helps me to
> 
> fill out some missing pieces. For instance, I love the deep dedication and unquestioned loyalty to
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> the teachings I see in true Muslims. I need that piece just as I need the lessons of mindfulness I
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> find in the Buddhist teachings. Baha’is in the west are strongly encouraged to study the Quran.
> 
> I want time to delve more deeply into Islam and Sufism. I need time to really digest these
> 
> teachings and start applying them more in my daily life. It encourages me to be a more faithful
> 
> Baha’i and to appreciate the context where Baha’u’llah’s revelation was born. Baha’u’llah tells
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> us that there will be another messenger from God in approximately nine hundred and some years.
> 
> Will we have matured enough to welcome the next one?
>
> — *Islam and the Baha'i Faith (Used by permission of the curator)*